312 Mr. T. C. Hyton’s Notes on Birds. 
dicular line of the cranium. The crotaphyte impression between the 
zygomatic and post-orbital processes is deep and well-defined ; above 
this, is a well-defined impression of the temporal muscle. The lachry- 
mal bones project in the form of a broad process anteriorly to the 
orbits of the eyes, and must in a great degree protect that organ ; the 
septum between the orbits is perfectly closed. The formula of the 
vertebrze is— 
Cer. 12; Dor. 7; Sac. 11; Caud. 7. 
The terminal caudal vertebra is deep and narrow, measuring perpen- 
dicularly half an inch. 
The ribs are seven in number, two false ones being placed ante- 
riorly and one posteriorly. The ring of the cornea is rather elevated, 
and consists of fifteen distinct and divisible segments. 
Remarks.—The anatomy of the soft parts of this bird ap- 
proaches very nearly to that of some of the Cuculide ; the stomach 
however in the latter family has the epithelium smooth, and is 
proportionately of larger size. The czeca, cesophagus and proven- 
triculus are of nearly the same form. 
The trachea is in Trogon acted upon by one pair of sterno-tra- 
cheal muscles only, in which respect and also in the large size of 
the bronchia it agrees with the Kingfishers. The intestinal canal 
in Trogon is of larger diameter than among the Cuckoos, and the 
rectum smaller in proportion to the size of the small intestine. 
In the structure of the trachea as before mentioned, Trogon 
agrees with the Kingfishers, but differs as regards its soft ana- 
tomy in almost every other respect. Its intestinal anatomy is 
that of an insect-feeding bird ; but I should not have supposed, 
from the slight muscular power of the stomach and its only 
slightly hardened epithelium, that it fed upon seeds had I not 
- found them in the stomach, and it is perfectly possible that they 
might have been swallowed with some small and soft insects 
which had become decomposed into the soft pulpy matter which 
was mixed with the seeds. In the general contour of the ske- 
leton and in the lightness of the bones Trogon closely resembles 
Alcedo ; in fact the skeleton might, if the head was removed, be 
easily mistaken for a species of that genus; there are however 
distinctions which a more minute examination renders apparent ; 
it must however be placed in contiguity with that form in a na- 
tural arrangement, as it approaches more nearly to it than to any 
other with which I am acquainted. From all the scansorial forms 
it is at once distinguished by all those distinctive characters which 
divide the typical genera of that order from the fissirostral or 
volitorial* group. 
* I propose to divide the class Aves into the following eight orders, which 
may be all distinguished by their skeletons: Raptores, Volitores, Scansores, 
Insessores, Rasores, Cursores, Grallatores, Natatores. 
